Bag closure



June 27, 1967 c. P. GREEN 3,327,928

BAG CLOSURE Filed Feb. 18, 1966 i I 12 g 11 I 12 3 E 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent f ABSTRAfIT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper bag for containing lunch or the like, the bag having a body provided on one or both of its faces with a design or similar marking to enable the bag to be identified and distinguished from other bags When placed adjacent to such bags; the bag having a closure flap bearing a strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive on its inner face, the bag having a strip of paper adhesively and permanently secured to one of its faces, such strip having a free flap portion provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive on its outer face to contact with the adhesive on the closure flap when the closure flap is folded down to bag-closing position.

This invention relates to lunch bags and similar containers and it has for one of its objects the provision that an article of this character can be readily identified and rendered distinguishable from similarly shaped and sized bags and particularly when a number of lunch bags are placed together.

At the present time, the use of lunch boxes and similar containers formerly used by school children, factory workers and others, appears to have been largely abandoned presumably for sanitary reasons. At present, various kinds of paper, cellophane and one-use plastic bags are employed for carrying food or lunches. Such bags have the advantage of being used but once and then discarded.

When a number of these lunch-containing bags are placed together in a group or stack as is sometimes done in a school room, it is difiicult, if not almost impossible for the individual owners to correctly select their respective lunches. The result is that a child often finds himself with a lunch decidedly to his distaste.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a one-use lunch-containing bag or like receptacle and one which can be composed of paper, cellophane or plastic, and which shall have on its exterior, and preferably but not necessarily on one or both of its walls or faces, a distinctive and readily-identifiable design or pattern readily recognized by a school child so that he can separate and select his lunch bag from a number of other bags, and particularly when a number of such bags are alike in shape and size and are closely associated or in a stacked relation.

It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient sealing means for a bag of this kind.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag made in accordance with the invention and shown in its erect and open condition;

FIG. 2 is a view of the rear of the bag in its sealed condition and with a portion of the sealing flap lifted;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a face view of the upper portion of the bag, looking at the rear thereof and with the sealing flap raised, and

3,327,928 Patented June 27, 1967 FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates generally a bag constructed according to the present invention. The bag is of a conventional shape readily produced by known bag-making machinery and it is composed of a suitable sheet material such as paper, cellophane, plastic or the like. The bag so produced is provided with front and rear walls indicated respectively at 3 and 2 and with foldable side walls 4 and 5 and with a bottom 6. The bag is open at the top or provided with the mouth 7.

Hingedly attached at 9 to, or forming an integral extension of the front wall 3 is a closure flap 10 provided on its inner face with a strip or area 12 of adhesive and preferably, although not necessarily, of the self-sealing or pressure-sensitive kind. When the flap is folded down on hinge 9 over the mouth 7 of the bag to close the mouth, it will be held down by the contact of the adhesive material 12 with the outer face of the bag wall 2.

Imprinted or otherwise suitably reproduced on one or both of the front and rear walls 2 and 3 of the bag is a striking, easily distinguishable design or pattern 15 which may be brightly colored and of a bold pattern or one that is easily distinguishable for example, by a child. Thus, when a bag of this kind, containing food or lunch, is placed with a relatively large number of other lunchcontaining bags generally of similar shape and size, the patterned bag is easily recognized by a child and the possibility of selecting the wrong bag will be avoided.

The pattern or design that is imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the bag may assume many forms, that being shown being merely illustrative. The closure flap 10 can be provided on its outer face with an area or panel 14 which can receive the name of the owner, thus further aiding in distinguishing the bag from similarly shaped other bags.

While I have herein suggested that the distinguishing pattern on the bag may be one imprinted directly upon it, the pattern might if desired, be in the form of a separate panel or label adherently attached to the bag. The pattern might also be provided in areas on the bag other than that disclosed in the drawing and herein mentioned.

Another means can be provided for sealing or closing the bag and for this purpose there can be provided on the Wall 2 of the bag, an adhesively-attached sealing strip 11 having an upper flap portion 13 coated with an adhesive material. When the flap 10 is folded down as shown in FIG. 2 and in partly folded condition in FIG. 3, the flap 10 will come into contact with the adhesivecoated portion 13 and the flap 10 will thus be held down to thereby close the mouth of the bag and fully protect its contents.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there is provided a bag suitable for containing lunch or food, which will have an identifying pattern or design by means of which it can be readily selected from a group of similarly-shaped bags and the possibility of selecting the wrong bag avoided. The sealing means employed over the mouth of the bag results in a secure closure and it maintains the contained foods in a sanitary and fully protected condition.

Having thus described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto but is broad enough to cover all structures coming Within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bag for containing lunch and the like, the bag consisting of a paper sack provided on at least one of its faces with a design or similar marking to distinguish it from other similarly shaped bags when a number of the bags are placed in close association, the bag having a hinged closure flap for Closing the mouth of the bag, said closure flap being provided with a strip of pressuresensitive adhesive on its inner face, the bag being provided with an adhesively-attached paper strip secured to one of its faces adjacent to its mouth, said paper strip having a free flap portion adjacent to its upper end, said flap portion having a pressure-sensitive adhesive area on its outer face, said adhesive area contacting with the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the inner face of the closure flap when the closure flap is folded down to its bag-closing position.

2. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the free flap portion is located below the mouth of the bag and said strip has a lower portion below its adhesive area, said 4 one face of the bag; the outer face of the closure flap having space for receiving the name or identifying symbol of the bag owner.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,242 5/ 1935 Manning. 2,329,055 9/1943 Kegan 22980 FOREIGN PATENTS 148,834 10/ 1952 Australia.

63,240 2/ 1913 Switzerland.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primaly Examiner.

lower portion being permanently adhesively attached to 15 DAVID BOCKENEK, Examiner 

1. A BAG FOR CONTAINING LUNCH AND THE LIKE, THE BAG CONSISTING OF A PAPER SACK PROVIDED ON AT LEAST ONE OF ITS FACES WITH A DESIGN OR SIMILAR MARKING TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM OTHER SIMILARLY SHAPED BAGS WHEN A NUMBER OF THE BAGS ARE PLACED IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION, THE BAG HAVING A HINGED CLOSURE FLAP FOR CLOSING THE MOUTH OF THE BAG, SAID CLOSURE FLAP BEING PROVIDED WITH A STRIP OF PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON ITS INNER FACE, THE BAG BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVELY-ATTACHED PAPER STRIP SECURED TO ONE OF ITS FACES ADJACENT TO ITS MOUTH, SAID PAPER STRIP HAVING A FREE FLAP PORTION ADJACENT TO ITS UPPER END, SAID FLAP PORTION HAVING A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE AREA ON ITS OUTER FACE, SAID ADHESIVE AREA CONTACTING WITH THE PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON THE INNER FACE OF THE CLOSURE FLAP WHEN THE CLOSURE FLAP IS FOLDED DOWN TO ITS BAG-CLOSING POSITION. 